Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The incessant drone of summer cicadas frayed everyone's nerves, stirring restlessness in the heart.

Yun Wan clutched the swaddled infant in her arms tightly, sweat beaded at her temples and trickled down her cheeks. Her body was strung as tight as a bow.

Like a wary little creature, she observed her surroundings with apprehension.

In the center of the hall, a Shoushan bronze incense burner released slender tendrils of smoke, its fragrance sweet as spring blossoms. The room was filled with luxurious rosewood furniture, and the mutton-fat jade inlaid in the carvings was a treasure she could never afford, even if she ran a bookshop her entire life.

Seeing that the maidservant’s dress was even finer than that of the county magistrate’s wife, her dread deepened.

Thud—

The tranquility of the front hall was shattered by the sound of a teacup being set down roughly by a maid.

"Here, have some tea."

The small noise jolted Yun Wan’s already strained nerves, and she flinched. Her voice, thin as a thread, trembled as she spoke, "I-I’m sorry… Why did you bring me here?"

The maid glanced at the woman before her. Her peach-blossom eyes held a subtle allure, a striking cinnabar dot graced the center of her forehead, and her damp hair at the temples added to her charm. She had the looks of a seductress, yet her courage was smaller than a rabbit’s.

The maid scoffed lightly. "Do you have any idea what it was you just tried to pawn?"

Tears welled up instantly in Yun Wan’s eyes. "That was a jade pendant my husband gave me. When will you return it to me?"

"Return it? Unless your husband is a thief? That is the official seal of the Marquis of Xuanping's estate."

Tears streamed down Yun Wan’s face in anger. Her husband was a man of noble character—how could they accuse him so? Stumbling over her words, she retorted, "You—you’re slandering him!"

The maid gave her a dismissive glance and walked away.

In an instant, the hall was once again engulfed in profound silence.

Tearfully, Yun Wan stared toward the door. She was originally from Yun County in the northwest. After her husband disappeared, her family’s bookshop and property had all been seized by her uncle. The shock and fear had caused her milk to dry up, and her once plump, healthy child had grown increasingly thin and frail.

With no other options left, Yun Wan had heard that someone had spotted her husband in the capital, so she brought her child and journeyed there.

Along the way, she had gotten lost, taken wrong carriages, been cheated out of money, and even nearly had her child snatched by human traffickers. She had suffered greatly, adrift and alone with no one to rely on.

But the capital was vast, its people as numerous as the stars in the sky. After searching for over a month with no success, Yun Wan had run out of money to stay any longer. She had no choice but to pawn the only keepsake she had left to secure travel funds for her departure.

Yet, unexpectedly, a group of people had abducted her and brought her here.

At this thought, the injustice and sorrow in her heart became too much to bear.

Tears in her eyes, she pressed her face against her sleeping child’s cheek and whispered, "Where did your father go? Mother can’t hold on much longer."

Suddenly, a young servant came rushing in, calling out in a hushed but urgent tone, "Quick, quick—the young master has arrived at the main gate!"

The maids swiftly and quietly brought in basins of ice, replaced the floral incense in the burner with rich sandalwood, and respectfully set a fine cup of tea at the head seat.

Yun Wan’s heart filled with dread, her knuckles whitening as she clung tightly to the swaddle in her arms.

"Greetings to the young master."

Lost in her fear, Yun Wan was startled by the sudden chorus of greetings, flinching involuntarily.

Someone beside her pulled her down to her knees. Her knees hit the floor with a thud, breaking the silence sharply.

But Yun Wan had no attention to spare for the pain—her heartbeat had synced with the footsteps approaching from outside.

Then, a pair of black boots embroidered with gold thread came into view. Without pause, they moved directly to the head seat.

"Young master, the item this woman tried to pawn today is the official seal you lost."

"Hm. Have her look up."

Too nervous to process the man’s words, Yun Wan felt a maid beside her nudge her and whisper, "The young master is telling you to raise your head."

Trembling, she slowly lifted her gaze. But when she saw the man seated at the head of the room, she froze.

He wore robes of black, a silver crown upon his head. His jaw was sharp as a blade, and his deep-set eyes held neither joy nor sorrow as they rested on her.

Was it him? No—he would never look at her with such coldness.

But the small mole at the corner of his eye was a spot she had kissed countless times. Those thin, faintly red lips had once breathed softly by her ear, whispering endless words of love.

Seeing the man she had longed for day and night right before her eyes, Yun Wan’s nose stung with emotion. Choking back tears, she cried out plaintively, "Husband."

This woman has a death wish.

Every servant in the room thought it, their kneeling postures becoming even more rigid, fearful that the young master’s ruthless methods might turn on them.

The steward drew a quiet, deep breath. Sneaking a glance at Lu Yu’s slightly darkened expression, he turned and rebuked loudly, "You there! How dare you address him so improperly!"

Yun Wan didn’t even hear what the steward said. Her pitiable eyes welled with aggrieved tears as she gazed at the man in the main seat and wept, "A Yu, our home was taken from us, the bookshop was burned down, and even the pine tree you planted for our child was cut down by Second Uncle."

Before her hand, still cradling the child, could even brush the hem of Lu Yu’s robe, the steward yanked her aside.

"What nonsense is this? How dare you lay a hand on the young master!"

Yun Wan was thrown to the floor. In the sudden fall, she hurriedly protected the child in her arms, her elbow striking the brick floor with a loud crack.

Gritting through the pain, she lay prone on the ground, her almond-shaped eyes wide with disbelief, tears swimming in them as she stared at Lu Yu.

"You…"

Not a trace of pity showed in his eyes. Seated upright in the main seat, he seemed almost divine, untouchable.

"I don’t know you. I am not your husband."

As soon as Lu Yu spoke, Yun Wan froze as if struck by lightning. Pale-faced, she stared at the noble man seated before her.

Could there truly be two people in this world who looked exactly alike?

No, impossible. This was A Yu.

The child in her arms stirred awake then, its small pink hand brushing against Yun Wan’s damp cheek. Its soft, gleeful laughter broke the tense silence.

Tears swirling in her eyes, her face ashen, Yun Wan whispered, "Have you abandoned even your child?"

Lu Yu frowned slightly and repeated, "I am not your husband. You’ve mistaken me for someone else."

Tears clinging to her lashes, Yun Wan murmured, "No mistake. It’s you. You said you would never leave me, not in this life or the next."

Lu Yu’s brow furrowed. Such hollow promises of love—he found them utterly laughable, unworthy of even being spoken aloud.

Yun Wan looked up in distress and said, "It's you, it has to be you. You have a circular scar on your back and a knife wound on your left arm from saving me."

Lu Yu's gaze cooled instantly. He put down the celadon teacup in his hand and asked in a low voice, "Just who are you? Who sent you? And who is your husband?"

Who?

Yun Wan trembled slightly in fear, her voice hoarse as she replied, "I am your properly wedded wife."

Lu Yu asked helplessly, "Alright, then when did you meet me?"

"We married in Yun County last February. One month after I gave birth to our child, you just disappeared."

Lu Yu thought this was completely absurd. He had not left the capital recently, so how could he have had a child with a woman from Yun County in the northwest?

He looked at the woman before him, her face full of grievance. The infant in her arms nestled against her full breast, and her slender waist, hidden beneath coarse cloth, didn't look like she'd borne a child.

Lu Yu frowned deeply and questioned, "Did you give birth to this child?"

Yun Wan pushed the child forward and quickly explained, "This is our child. You said that 'A gentleman is cautious when alone, embodying virtue and integrity.' Since Xiao Bao is our treasure, you named him Zhang."

"Lu Zhang?"

Lu Yu's deep voice uttered the name he had pondered countless times in his heart, his expression growing grimmer.

Absurd, truly absurd. Someone had actually made real what he'd been thinking.

A soft voice interrupted his contemplation, "It's Lu Yunzhang. My name is Yun Wan..."

"Enough," Lu Yu's cold voice cut her off.

His slender fingers tapped lightly on the table as he said flatly, "Since the estate seal has been recovered, Steward Wang, give her fifty taels of silver from the accounts for this young lady and see she gets a carriage to take her back to Yun County."

"Right away, sir."

Yun Wan's eyes reddened as she looked up at Lu Yu, but he did not spare her even a glance.

The maids began to push her toward the door. Holding back tears, she turned back and said, her voice catching, "A Yu, when we married, you swore before my father's grave that you would treat me well for the rest of my life."

Her words were like stones thrown into a valley, met with no response.

Yun Wan felt cold all over, tears flowing unconsciously as she numbly followed the maids forward.

A Yu was casting her aside.

What was she to do now? Even if she returned to Yun County, she had no home left. The village already believed her husband was dead, and her uncle planned to marry her off to the town layabout in exchange for two taels of silver.

Clutching the infant in her arms as if it were her only lifeline, she turned to look back toward the hall but was pushed forward by the maids.

Suddenly, a soft, gentle woman's voice rang out.

"What is going on here?"